Based on the literature, previous clinical experience, and the results of univariate analysis, we selected CCR value, age, number of hospitalizations due to AE in the past year, coexisting heart failure, OI, hypercapnia, CRP, and D-dimer for inclusion in multivariate logistic regression analysis (Fig. 3), which indicated that CCR < 52.27 [OR 6.23, 95% CI (3.00–12.92), P < 0.001], age ≥ 81 years, number of hospitalizations due to AE in the previous year, OI < 300, CRP > 8 mg/L, and D-dimer > 500 ng/L were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality for patients hospitalized with AECOPD. Here, CRP is linked to heart failure.